Obama’s Decision To End the War in Iraq Won’t Change Mo National Guard’s Plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMOX) — President Barack Obama announced the war that claimed the lives of more than 4,000 American soldiers, including seven from the Missouri National Guard, is coming to a close. But the announcement isn’t really going to effect the Missouri National Guard because they no longer have troops stationed in Iraq.

A Black Hawk helicopter unit from Missouri was scheduled to deploy to Iraq this December. Now a spokeswoman for the Missouri National Guard says they don’t know where or when that helicopter will be sent.

In the meantime other Missouri units will continue their missions overseas as scheduled.

“We have units that are scheduled to deploy overseas really through the next two years,” said Missouri National Guard spokeswoman Major Tammy Spicer. “We have a plan to send approximately 1,000 soldiers overseas.”

Currently, the Missouri National Guard reports it has about 1,000 soldiers currently deployed in Afghanistan, Egypt and Qatar.